Surgical Error Leads to Fatal Outcome
Florida surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky is currently under intense legal and professional scrutiny following the death of 70-year-old patient William Bryan during a routine procedure in October 2023. During an operation intended to remove a spleen at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital, Shaknovsky mistakenly removed the patient’s liver, an error that resulted in immediate and fatal hemorrhage on the operating table.
Context of the Medical Procedure
The incident occurred in Miramar Beach, Florida, when William Bryan sought medical attention for localized abdominal pain. While medical professionals often perform splenectomies to address various health concerns, the surgical procedure requires precise anatomical identification to avoid damaging adjacent organs, including the liver, which is highly vascular and critical to survival.
Details of the Surgical Deviation
In recent deposition transcripts obtained by national media outlets, Dr. Shaknovsky described the event as an
